Organization Profile
Friends of Historic Riverview Cemetery (FHRC)
http://www.RiverviewCem.com
Riverview Cemetery, a Victorian garden cemetery, traces its 1872 origin to the benevolent societies of the Knights of Pythias and Independent Order of Odd Fellows. It consists of 42 acres spanning both sides of Market Street in Wilmington, DE. Surrounded by homes, churches, and small businesses, Riverview Cemetery is a beautiful "green space" in the city. This historic, affordable, and active burial ground remains available for people of all social, ethnic, religious, and economic backgrounds.
By the end of the last century, Riverview Cemetery had fallen to mismanagement, neglect and vandalism. A group of dedicated volunteers formed to reclaim and restore this historic treasure, discovering along the way fascinating stories of the people who were buried there and whose lives and work developed and shaped the character of Wilmington during the 19th and 20th centuries.
The Friends are volunteers who strive to preserve Wilmington's most culturally diverse, non-profit public cemetery, providing a dignified and affordable final resting place regardless of social, ethnic, religious, or economic backgrounds. We seek partnerships with city, state, county, community groups, churches, businesses, and individuals to support the restoration and preservation of the cemetery in order to fulfill Riverview Cemetery's original mission.
On July 3, 2012, Riverview Cemetery was placed on the National Register of Historic Places by the United States Department of the Interior and is recognized as the first Delaware cemetery so honored on its own merit. The National Register is the official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures and objects significant in American history, architecture, archeology, engineering and culture that are worthy of preservation.
